The Witness cover

The Witness

Critic score7 critics
First release
1983
Publisher
Infocom
Genres
Adventure · Mystery, Thriller

The Witness was the seventh game released by interactive fiction pioneers Infocom. The player character is a detective who has been summoned to the Cabeza Plana, California office of Mr. Linder, a millionaire. Linder fears that his life is in danger... and indeed, as he sits in his office with the player, he is murdered before the player's eyes. The player then must solve the murder.

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
FEBRUARY 1938, LOS ANGELES FDR's New Deal is finally rolling. Hitler's rolling, too; this time through Austria. But as Chief Detective for a quiet burgh on the outskirts of L.A., you've got other fish to fry. One gilt-edged society dame is dead. And now it looks like some two-bit grifter is putting the screws to her multi-millionaire old man. Then, unexpected, on this stormy February night, a wealthy but frightened man has asked you for protection. In spite of your best efforts, a death will occur, and you will have twelve hours to solve the mystery and try to arrest the killer - the shakedown turns ugly. You're left with a stiff and a race against the clock to nail your suspect... unless you get nailed first! Nobody said a sordid family affair like this was going to be a cinch. Everyone from the knockout heiress to the poker-faced butler may end up in the slammer before it's over. Ahead of you is a Gordian knot of motives and alibis. And the only testimony you can trust is that of your own eyes--because you are The WITNESS.Read more

FEBRUARY 1938, LOS ANGELES FDR's New Deal is finally rolling. Hitler's rolling, too; this time through Austria. But as Chief Detective for a quiet burgh on the outskirts of L.A., you've got other fish to fry. One gilt-edged society dame is dead. And now it looks like some two-bit grifter is putting the screws to her multi-millionaire old man. Then, unexpected, on this stormy February night, a wealthy but frightened man has asked you for protection. In spite of your best efforts, a death will occur, and you will have twelve hours to solve the mystery and try to arrest the killer - the shakedown turns ugly. You're left with a stiff and a race against the clock to nail your suspect... unless you get nailed first! Nobody said a sordid family affair like this was going to be a cinch. Everyone from the knockout heiress to the poker-faced butler may end up in the slammer before it's over. Ahead of you is a Gordian knot of motives and alibis. And the only testimony you can trust is that of your own eyes--because you are The WITNESS.

Release dates
DOS
1983
Commodore C64/128/MAX
1983
Atari 8-bit
1983
All 13 release dates
Apple II
1983
Mac
1984
TRS-80 Color Computer
1984
Commodore 16
1984
Commodore Plus/4
1984
TRS-80
1984
Atari ST/STE
1985
Amiga
1986
Amstrad CPC
1986
Amstrad PCW
1986
Time to beatIGDB · recorded
Main + Extras
12h
Game modes
Single player
Perspective
Text
Keywords
interactive fiction, crime, single-player only, text adventure, second person perspective
… All 6, scummvm compatible

At a Glance

Critic Score
96
Main + Extras (IGDB)
12h

How it plays

Languages

  • Englishinterface
IGDB · recorded 12 Sept 2026

Language data: IGDB · recorded 12 Sept 2026